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(No Model.) 4 Sheets-Sheet '1.

L. E. J. THIBOUVILLE. MECHANICAL MUSICAL INSTRUMENT.

No. 380,608. P8 811888 Apr. 8, 1888.

INVENTOR;

N. PETERS, Photal 'hographer. Wash!ngium.D-C.

(No Model.) 4 Sheets-Sheet 2'.

L. E. J. THIBOUVILLE.

MECHANICAL MUSICAL INSTRUMENT.

N. PETERSv PhnlLvUfllugrzphar. Washingion. D. C.

(No Model.) 4 Sheets-Sheet a. L. E. J. THIBOUVILLE.

MECHANICAL MUSICAL INSTRUMENT. No. 880,608. Patented Apr. 3, 1888.

INVENTOR;

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v3 M Au- Q Q Zu a N. flames PhowLilhngnphon Warhingon. D. a

(No Model.)

4 Sheets-Sheet 4. L. E. J. ,THIBOUVILLE- MEGHANIGAL MUSICAL INSTRUMENT.

Patented Apr. 3, 188.8.

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PATENT OFFICE.

LOUIS EMILE JEROME THIBOUVILLE, OF PARIS, FRANCE.

MECHANICAL MUSICAL INSTRUMENT.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 380,608, dated April 3, 1888.

Application filed August 18, 1887. Serial No. 247,264. (No model.) Patented in France February 1, 1887,1\0. 181,276, and in England May 26, 1887, No. 7,676.

.To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, LOUIS EMILE JEROME THIBOUVILLE, a citizen of the French Republic, residing in Paris, France, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Mechanical Organs, specification.

This invention is the subject of a patent in France, No. 181,276, dated February 1, 1887, and of a patent in England, No. 7,676, dated May 26, 1887.

My present invention relates to mechanical organs of that class wherein the notes are played through the medium of a perforated band of paper which is caused to travel through the organ and is acted upon mechanically by a series of what may be termed feelers or tilting fingers, which enter the holes in the paper and by their movement open the valves of the organ.

The object of my invention is to improve the construction of organs of this class with particular reference to the facilitation of their cleaning and repairing, and, in general, to render them more convenient and effective in operation.

Figure 1 of the accompanying drawings is a front elevation of my improved organ, 2. portion of the outer case being broken away to show part of the mechanism. Fig. 2 is a vertical longitudinal section. Fig. 3 is an end elevation lookingin the direction-of arrow 3 in Figs. 1 and 2. Fig. 4 is an elevation of the opposite end, looking in the direction of arrows 4 in Figs. 1 and 2. Fig. 5is afragmentary end elevation of part of the mechanism, looking in the same direction as Fig. 3. Fig. 6 is a fragmentary detailed view of one of the parts shown in Fig. 5, on an enlarged scale. Fig. 7 is a diagram of the perforated band of paper with its ends joined together; and Fig. 8 is a plan of the organ, partly broken away to show the construction.

Referring to the drawings, let A designate the outer box or case, which incloses the bellows and the operating mechanism. The opposite ends, B B, of this case are formed with openings 0 O to permit the passage of the perforated paper, which travels over a board, D, extending longitudinally through the case.

of which the following is a- The perforated paper (designated by the letter G) is folded back and forth and lies on ashelf, D, at the entering end of the organ, and on issuing from the other end it is again folded and deposited in a pocket, E.

I prefer to make the perforated paper band of short lengths or divisions of card board, which are folded back and forth one upon another, instead of being rolled upon a roller. In order to insure the proper folding up of the paper band as it emerges from the organ, I provide a folder, 3/. This consists simply of a wire frame pivoted to the end of the ease above the opening 0 and arranged to fall upon and be lifted by the issuing paper band. The slight weight of this frame is sufficient to force the perforated paper band to bend at the folds or creases, after the manner shown best in Fig. 2,

where the issuing division of the band is shown in full lines before the fold has reached the corner as of the opening 0 and while it is still upholding the folder y. As soon as the fold reaches the corner 00, the weight of the folder causes it to fall into the position shown in dotted lines. The emergence of the next division again lifts the folder, and upon two divisions passing through it acts to fold them down as before. This folder may consist of any pivoted part hung above the opening 0, and acting on the paper either by its own weight or by the tension of a spring. This feature of my invention is applicable to anykind or construction of mechanical musical instrument which is actuated by a perforated band.

Referring to Figs. 2 and 5, F is a sound board provided with a set of reeds, a, arranged at the openings of reed-cells b,which are closed by valves (1, pressed to their seats by springs e. The sound-board is mounted on the bellows-board c, beneath which the bellows are arranged in the usual manner. The valves 02 are actuated by rock-levers f, which are fulcrumed on axes 9 between the teeth of combs h h, and acted upon by springs 70, which press against the levers in such direction as to tend to unseat the valves. The respective levers f are connected by pins j to feelerlevers i, which are fulcrumed at i, and the points of fingers 7 project upwardly through a transverse slot in the board D and are acted upon I60 by the perforations in the band of paper, G. The paper band passes under a grooved cyliir der, m, which is arranged directly above the feelers with its grooves coinciding therewith, and it passes thence between the two feedingrollers m m To the lower of these rollers is connected a crank, H, by which the mechanism is driven. The crank actuates not only the feed-rollers, but also operates the bellows, acting upon them through the medium of cranks n and pitmen n on opposite sides of the case, one of which is shown in Fig. 1.

By turning the crank H the perforated band is caused to travel past the feelers, and when ever it presents a hole over any one of the latter the corresponding lever f is tilted by its spring 7t and opens its valve (1, thereby admitting the wind furnished by the bellows t0 the reed-cell and vibrating the reed a thereof.

In order to facilitate the cleaning and repairing of the sound-board, the latter is made in the form of a sort of drawer sliding in longitudinal guides 0 0, as shownin Fig. 5,which is an elevation of the outer end of the soundboard and its appurtenances. \Vhen it is desired to remove the soundboard, it is only necessary to take out a plate or door,K,which is held in place in the end of the case by suitable pins, serews, or other fastenings, whereupon the sound-board may be slid out by the pin 0', Figs. 2 and 5, which normally holds it in place. In this movement the disengagement of the valves (1 from the levers fis accomplished by the construction shown best in Fig. 6, and which consists of a simple hook,f, which is mounted on the valve, and the upper end of which passes over or around the end of the leverf in such manner that it imposes no obstacle to the sliding out of the soundboard.

In order to insert a new sheet of perforated paper into the organ, it is necessary to press down the feelers to a point beneath the paper and to separate the feed-rollers. These'opcrations are performed simultaneously by means of a lever, L, which also lifts the grooved cylinder m to let the paper pass freely under it. The axes of the grooved cylinder m and of the upper feed-roller, m, are mounted in vertical bearing blocks or pillows p,which are pressed down by springs g at the opposite sides, and are lifted by rock-levers p p,whieh take under them and are fulcrumed at q q. The upper of these levers is pivoted to the lower and the latter is acted upon directly by the lever L, as best seen in Fig. 1. The lever L is fixed to the end of a rock-shaft, T, which is extended laterally to form a vibrating blade or crank, which,on being rocked by the pulling over of the lever L, encounters and presses down the feeler-levers t, thereby bringing their points beneath the plane of the paper. Upon the release of the lever L the springs return the parts to their normal positions.

In order to vary at will the, volume of sound, I provide swells or shutters which may be opened at will to obtain the desired expression.

These shutters s are arranged on the top of the case at opposite sides, being mounted on hinges s and pressed down by springs s (torsional or otherwise) to close them. In order to open them the operator has only to press down on a lever, t, which is fixed on a spindie, it, extending transversely through the case and carrying near its opposite ends two arms, a, which take against the under sides of the respective shutters. Thus the two shutters are opened simultaneously and to a greater or less extent, according to the pressure on the lever t. \Vhen it is desired to play the same piece several times without interruption, I connect the opposite ends of the perforated band G to any suitable attachment,w,as shown in Fig. 7, thereby forming an endless band which may pass continuously through the organ.

My improved organ may be operated equally by suction or compression bellows by disposi'ng the reeds and valves accordingly.

I claim as my invention the following-defined novel features and combinations, substantially as hereinabove specified namely:

1. In a mechanical organ operated by a perforated band, a series of feeler-levers pivoted beneath and substantially parallel with said band, each lever having its free end in contact therewith, a corresponding series of rocklevers pivoted beneath and parallel with said band and each connected at one end with the adjacent end of one of said feeler-levers, and a series of springs, 7t, acting on said rock-levers and tending to press the free ends of the feelerlevers against the band and through the perforations therein, in combination with the reed-cells and reeds and a series of valves closing said reed-cells, each valve being connected with the free end of one of said rocklevers,whereby said valves are opened by the action of the springs 70 7c, and a series of springs, e e, which close said valves, substantially as set forth.

2. In a mechanical organ, a series of parallel levers controlled by the passage of a perforated bandand mounted on the organ case, in combination with a sliding sound-board mounted beneath the ends of said levers and sliding in and out in the direction of the length of said levers, slides on the organ-case for said soundboard, the reeds and valves carried by said sound-board, and connections between each of said valves and one of said levers so arranged as not to obstruct the sliding movement of the board.

3. The combination ofaslidingsound-board, the case provided with slides therefor, the reeds and valves borne by said board, a series of levers adapted to be controlled by the passage of aperforated band, and connections between the respective valves and said levers, consisting of hooks fixed to the valves and extending laterally over the ends of the levers, whereby they offer no obstruction to the slid ing out of the board.

4. The combination of the organ'case constructed to form a passage for a perforated band, a pair of feeding-rollers adapted to engage and propel the band and one of them mounted in sliding blocks, a grooved roller on' one side of the perforated band mounted in and springs which normally close said shutters, in combination with a manipulating-lever having arms beneath each shutter, which 20 raise the same when said lever is manipulated. 6. The combination, with a mechanical musical instrument constructed with a passage for a perforated band, of a folder for said band, consisting of a frame pivoted above the point 25 where the band emerges from the organ. 7

In witness whereof I have hereunto signed my name in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

LOUIS EMILE JEEGJIE THIBOUVILLE.

Witnesses:

RoBT. M. HooPER, J ULEs ARMENGAUD, J eune. 

